"Sonic Exodus" Development Thread

Well, now it's actually happening. Here's what has been crafted so far by the person who's making this mod inspired by my maps. I must say, I love what they've done so far.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE SCREENSHOTS ARE EXTREMELY OUTDATED BY NOW.

Well, that's what it looked like yesterday. Here's how it's been altered since then.

I think I prefer it this way because, as nice as the first view was, I think the second shot more effectively instills a demand for exploration that I see as a key element of good Sonic gameplay. At the beginning, you're on a secluded surf, the idea being that Sonic just woke up here, and you can't actually SEE any of the island past that corner just yet. It's like the game is teasing you, just DARING you to go peek at whatever's around the corner, you know? And then, it suddenly opens up.... I mean, it REALLY opens up. Also lending to the need for exploration, the whole point of which is to look for and FIND things, there will be an easy to spot ring box behind the rock seen to the left in the first screenshot, and another, slightly more well hidden one submerged under that arch to the right. This might not seem like a big deal, but it's just another little thing that contributes to the experience. It's all about TEACHING the player "There's a lot of goodies to find, but you're going to have to go a little out of your way to reach them", easing the player in as things get bigger and more expansive. This isn't about holding a boost button to win, careening down a tube all the way.

Now, don't get the wrong idea. This isn't Green Hill Paradise. I do love that game, as it boasts pretty much everything I've been asking for in a Sonic game over the years.... but at the same time, it lacks direction. That will not be the case with this mod. While there's a lot of places to go to, the player isn't likely to get lost. Right from the get go, you'll be able to see the mountain at the other end of the island (once that part of the island has been built) which should inspire some people's natural desire to scale things like that (I love climbing). I mean, who wasn't drawn to the mountain in bo-bomb field? This is basically the same thing, only made much BIGGER to accommodate someone with Sonic's speed. Even then, no matter which way you go, these paths do all LEAD to somewhere. It isn't linear like, say, the daytime stages, but you're still ultimately advancing from point A to point B as all these paths eventually converge at one point at the other end of the island. You're just strolling from one END of the longer-than-it-is-wide island to the other end. On the way there, though, you can do anything and go anywhere you want, like the whole island is one massive playground. That's the beauty of it.

As for the name, I put a lot of thought into it. The most obvious meaning behind it is... well, Genesis... Exodus... get it? It's supposed to make people who grew up with a Sega Genesis think about that, about the good ol' days, as if this is the natural next step from that. At the same time, it means journey, as in "This is Sonic's journey across the land". Plus, I just think it sounds cool (certainly more inspired than all the "Sonic NEO"s or whatever.

I'm gonna try coming up with an original name for the stage itself, as well. Since the island's most defining trait will be the mountain at the far end of it, I want to call it something like "Aurora Column Zone" or something like that... Yeah, I know, needs work. The same "Sonic Exodus" will stick, though.

Wow, like great, I'm excited for this MOD. Neat design choices for this game so far, I stand behind your repositioning of the camera, it reminds me of how I envisioned 3d sonic would be like in the nineties, the idea itself sounds great,to me!
Especially your inspired aproack to this game, from the sounds of it this game takes the sonic FORMULA into the third dimention. And THAT's what excites me!

I absolutely Love the name, Sonic Epsilon sounds Epic, and the scope of the game your going for shows that its a true labour of love, and it SHOULD BE HELPED TO FRUITION BY THE COMUNITY (if their willing) as its REFRESHING to hear.

Though as you put you are a great writer, Its your STAGE DESIGNS and VISION that are inspired, THAT'S what your good at so don't get carried away taking all the credit, NO-ONE likes to do WORK for Someone Who takes ALL the credit...
What I mean is CREDIT Where Credit is due man,,

Anyway,
I PERSONLLY would LOVE to HELP this PROJECT, even if its something small and I'm sure others would too for the reasons I mentioned above, and TRUTHFULLY I can't wait to see more of this, and judging by your Trollface inspired Avatar I cant help but get the feeling your hidng something else lol
Anywho, BEST OF LUCK fam!

Keeping with the SONIC VIBE in Terms of the name of the zone, maybe something alliterated like "Melancholy Mountain"? , a sort of NO PRESSURE name for the first island of the game? At first I was thinking something like "Mystic Mountains" but Naah..Ultimately its you're call, CALL ME A FAN cause WITH SUPPORT I see POTENTIAL for a Great thing. :-) ... like I said GOOD LUCK and I can't wait to play the first release.

EDIT: FIXED & Removed the (Partially) Unintended Douchebaggery.

P.P.S,, WOW is that a blue moon outside, IT MUST BE I've crawled out from LURKING. I LIVE BENETH A ROCK, ahaa

Its your STAGE DESINGNS and VISION that are inspired, THAT is YOUR job. So don't get carried away taking all the credit, NO-ONE likes to do WORK for a shine stealing Smart ass, who takes all the credit. What I mean is CREDIT Where Credit is due,, who modeled the maps and programmed the game btw?

I didn't mention the person making this mod yet because we're mostly keeping this a little hush hush (this is just a quick sneak peek, not full blown hype) until a good chunk of the island has been constructed, then we're going to make a youtube channel together and post updates there of gameplay footage an' whatnot once there's enough to REALLY impress people with. This is a joint effort, but we're keeping this as much of a surprise to the masses as we can. Once we're really ready to show this off, it'll be credited like this. "Original designs by NickonAquaMagna, and game design by _______". I don't know if they want to remain anonymous or not, so I'll ask them if they're okay with me giving their name away. You'd be surprised by how many people are touchy about that sort of thing.

Though as you put you are a great writer, Its your STAGE DESIGNS and VISION that are inspired, THAT'S what your good at so don't get carried away taking all the credit, NO-ONE likes to do WORK for Someone Who takes ALLthe credit... What I mean is CREDIT Where Credit is due man,,

I didn't mention the person making this mod yet because we're mostly keeping this a little hush hush (this is just a quick sneak peek, not full blown hype) until a good chunk of the island has been constructed, then we're going to make a youtube channel together and post updates there of gameplay footage an' whatnot once there's enough to REALLY impress people with. This is a joint effort, but we're keeping this as much of a surprise to the masses as we can. Once we're really ready to show this off, it'll be credited like this. "Original designs by NickonAquaMagna, and game design by _______". I don't know if they want to remain anonymous or not, so I'll ask them if they're okay with me giving their name away. You'd be surprised by how many people are touchy about that sort of thing.

Anyhow, thanks for all the praise.

FULLY UNDERSTOOD!!!!
Sorry about that , I didn't mean for it to come off as it did (Like a Turd) , my first draft posts are always a little scruffy, typing on this tablet is ASS it takes me ages to type!
Plus I just HAD to get in there first. As for the praise, you're totally welcome, as I said credit where its due *BROFIST*

I'm really enjoying the design and thought put into the planning from the old thread. Namely it's because that's exactly where I am in my idea/planning phase of attempted development and I see a lot of really awesome design ideas (the one with the waterfall flowing through the curvy mountains mimics something I was putting together...).

Though I question what sort of style are you going for? Boost Sonic? Adventure Sonic? A new kind of mix up. You mentioned you're not a fan of how Unleashed was (linear I'm guessing) and you saw potential in Generations (Seaside Hill exploration and multipaths I'm also guessing). Having more direction than the GHP in a more open world style like a bigger Sonic Adventure seems to be the vibe I'm getting. Though base GDK never feels right for Sonic movement, I hope you can really push the engine to your vision. I'm sticking this on my radar in the meantime.

As for a zone name...uh since you're going with big words...asspull suggestion time:

Anyhow, Tiller, you're exactly right. The level design is meant to have the pacing of Sonic's gameplay in SA1, but to be much, MUCH wider and more open.

In other news, my hunch was correct as the developer of the game itself does indeed wish to remain anonymous for now. Someday, he may get his own Sonic Retro account, and to that end I wish him luck, and at that point you can expect to hear more from him.

This post has been edited by NickonAquaMagna: 07 December 2012 - 05:28 PM

UPDATE- Here's a new design I've made recently for him to craft.
It's basically a bed & breakfast inn that's been demolished, along with all the beach houses an' whatnot also seen so far.

The modder (who wishes to remain anonymous for now) has told me he WILL indeed be able to make this place in the game. So, huzzah!

The point of places like this is mainly to add to the atmosphere. As cheery as this island may appear at a glance, there's something tragic about it, a haunting sort of presence. For all we know, Robotnik may have stormed through here just a few hours ago, yet he's caused so much damage, and who knows where he's taken the inhabitants? While I do want the player to have fun, having a slightly unnerving element in there to keep them guessing will make the game even more engaging, I think. I don't want to make it "SRS BSNSS", but this is like... a recipe. It's a delicate mixture of components that compliment each other when mixed just right, a balance which I don't want to upset by adding too much of this or that. Having a LITTLE, teensy weensy bit of this sort of thing in there should compliment everything else, I think.

Gameplay wise, this place just teaches the player more about exploring. First, in the lobby building to the left, where the manager would give people the keys to their rooms, there's an easy to spot item box that lets hesitant players know that these set pieces aren't just there for looks and YES, you can walk around inside them. From there, they're free to navigate the inside of the main building, which, miraculously, is still standing.

As for the panel that shows Sonic in the bedroom, I've decided to remove that item box, and place it in the darkened room next to it.

This post has been edited by NickonAquaMagna: 09 December 2012 - 09:54 AM

Gotta say I love the exploration aspect you're trying to capture. As a kid I always loved games like Mario 64 and Pokemon that had little details like that hidden away for you to find and explore. Looking forward to seeing more.

Looks good, the project seems really interesting to me. Just ask me if you have any technical doubt.

Make sure you're using the Landscape tool of the Unreal Editor, and not the outdated Terrain tool.

The developer of the game itself has scrapped the work done so far and switched it for the landscape tool, as you advised. He said he's loving it so far, and you can probably expect to see a revised version of the opening area in the following days, at which point I may as well start a new thread simply called the "Sonic Exodus development Thread" and post updates there from that point on.

This post has been edited by NickonAquaMagna: 09 December 2012 - 05:12 PM